Baseball: Denton, Davidson Deliver for Monmouth in Win over Colts Neck

COLTS NECK — The Monmouth Regional baseball team entered Tuesday’s game against undefeated Colts Neck with a 2-3 record and coming off a loss to those same Cougars to close out last week.

Despite all that, the Falcons had all the confidence of an undefeated team, because when it comes to playing a team a second time in 2025, the Falcons are just that.

Senior ace Collin Denton pitched a four-hit complete game and his catcher, Bobby Davidson, hit a tie-breaking, two-out, two-run double on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the seventh inning to power the Falcons to a 3-1 win Monday, handing Colts Neck its first loss of the 2025 season.

“They’re a resilient group,” Monmouth coach Paul Crivello said. “Two of those three losses were games we could have won and I think that made them hungry to want to get back out on the field and show they could play better.”

Monmouth has now played two-game series in Shore Conference Class B North divisional play against three teams: Ocean, Howell and Colts Neck. In each two-game set, Monmouth dropped the first game only to bounce back and win the second.

In each of those three wins for Monmouth, Davidson has found himself at the plate in a key situation and delivered. His tie-breaking double on Monday was the third RBI hit in the fifth inning or later and the second tie-breaking extra-base hit by the senior catcher. Davidson has also hit safely in each of Monmouth’s six games to open the season for a .438 average (7-for-16) with two doubles, a home run and six RBI.

Colts Neck reliever Jack Dugo nearly escaped the jam with first-and-second, one out in the seventh by inducing a pop-out by Denton for the second out and coaxing Davidson into a pair of pop-ups in play in foul territory. Second baseman Dan Annunziata nearly caught both foul pops, with the second popping in and out of his glove while he was on the run. One pitch later, Davidson belted a hanging breaking ball to the gap in left-center to score pinch-runner Mason Bussem from second and shortstop Beckett Langdon from first.

Bobby Davidson with another huge go-ahead extra-base hit for Monmouth. This double scores 2 with 2 out to give Monmouth a 3-1 lead on Colts Neck in the top of the 7th. Also came after a dropped foul pop up that would have ended the inning. pic.twitter.com/3hWCDWvi47

— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) April 14, 2025

Designated hitter Malik Young-Akbar started the winning rally with a walk before giving way to Bussem on the base paths. Centerfielder and leadoff hitter Will Theobald then sacrificed Bussem to second base and shortstop Beckett Langdon drew a one-out walk to bring Denton to the plate.

Will Perski gave Colts Neck hope in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff double to left that got caught up in the sun — his third time reaching in three plate appearances vs. Denton. Denton retired the next batter on one pitch and squeezed a pop-up on the infield for the second out on his 104th pitch. On his 109th pitch, Denton finished off the game with his ninth strikeout.

Making his third start of the season and pitching with four days of rest, Denton quieted the bats of one of the Shore’s highest-scoring offense during the early part of the season. He allowed four hits and walked two batters.

Denton also drove in Monmouth’s first run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the first after Will Theobald beat out an infield single, took second on a sacrifice by Langdon and scooted to third on a wild pitch.

Colts Neck junior right-hander Ryan Spencer matched Denton for six innings before giving the ball over to Dugo with one out in the seventh. Spencer overcame seven walks to allow on earned run on four hits and struck out eight.

Colts Neck tied the game in the bottom of the second on a hit-and-run RBI double by Annunziata, with Perski scoring from third after obstruction was called on third baseman Connor Keefer for making contact with Annunziata.

The Cougars tested Denton again in the bottom of the fourth inning, loading the bases with a single by first baseman Ryan Rude and a pair of walks — the only two Denton issued on Monday. The fourth was also the only inning in which Denton struck out the side, which got him out of the inning unscathed on 32 pitches.

Denton used his standout slider to keep Colts Neck off-balance throughout his 109-pitch effort, including sliders on the first two pitches of the game to Cougars leadoff hitter and centerfielder.

“His slider is the pitch for him,” Crivello said of Denton. “It’s a Division I slider. Not only does it move, but he can locate it and take a little off of it.”

The 109 pitches is a season-high through three starts and the first outing of more than 81 pitches this season for Denton. He worked complete games in each of his other starts, but needed only 69 pitches in six innings during a 2-1 loss to Ocean and 81 to pitch a a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts against Rumson-Fair Haven.

After going 6-1 with a 0.93 earned-run average and 78 strikeouts in a Shore-Conference-leading 60 1/3 innings during an All-Shore season, Denton is off to another outstanding start in his senior year. The St. Peter’s University commit is 2-1 with a 0.70 ERA, 23 strikeouts and three walks in 20 innings to start his season.

“Collin was already so good last year, so for him, I think it was just continuing to get stronger and keep learning how to use what he’s got,” Crivello said. “He’s already been our ace and a leader for us, so he’s pretty much picking up where he left off last year.”